United States Secretary of Labor


The United States Secretary of Labor is a member of the Cabinet of the United States, and as the head of the United States Department of Labor, controls the department, and enforces and suggests laws involving unions, the workplace, and all other issues involving any form of business-person controversies.
Formerly, there was a U.S. Secretary of Commerce and Labor, who led this department along with the U.S. Department of Commerce as one department. Since the two departments split in 1913, the Department of Commerce is now headed by a separate U.S. Secretary of Commerce.
Eugene Scalia, a son of the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, has served as Secretary of Labor since September 30, 2019.

List of Secretaries of Labor

; Parties

Living former Secretaries of Labor

As of, there are thirteen living former Secretaries of Labor, the oldest being George P. Shultz. The most recent Secretary of Labor to die was William Usery Jr., on December 10, 2016.
NameTerm of officeDate of birth
George P. Shultz1969–1970
Ray Marshall1977–1981
Raymond J. Donovan1981–1985
Bill Brock1985–1987
Ann Dore McLaughlin1987–1989
Elizabeth H. Dole1989–1990
Lynn Morley Martin1991–1993
Robert Reich1993–1997
Alexis Herman1997–2001
Elaine Chao2001–2009
Hilda Solis2009–2013
Thomas Perez2013–2017
Alexander Acosta2017–2019

Line of succession

The line of succession for the Secretary of Labor is as follows:
  1. Deputy Secretary of Labor
  2. Solicitor of Labor
  3. Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management
  4. Assistant Secretary for Policy
  5. Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs
  6. Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training
  7. Assistant Secretary for Employee Benefits Security
  8. Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health
  9. Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health
  10. Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs
  11. Chief Financial Officer
  12. Administrator, Wage and Hour Division
  13. Assistant Secretary for Veterans' Employment and Training
  14. Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy
  15. Deputy Solicitor of Labor
  16. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy
  17. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Congressional Affairs
  18. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training
  19. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy
  20. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health
  21. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health
  22. Regional Solicitor—Dallas
  23. Regional Administrator for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management—Region VI/Dallas

    Designated Secretarial Designee

If none of the above officials are available to serve as Acting Secretary of Labor, the Designated Secretarial Designee assumes interim operational control over the Department, except the Secretary's non-delegable responsibilities.
  1. Director, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs
  2. Director of the Women's Bureau
  3. Regional Administrator, Employment and Training Administration—Dallas
  4. Regional Administration, Occupational Safety and Health Administration—Dallas